Cartoon crisis highlighted divide between Islam and the West. The recent crisis over the Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad as a terrorist has highlighted the misunderstanding and cultural divide between Islam and the West.

Author and human rights activist Mahmoud Nammoura, who has written two books on Islam-West relations, believes the cartoons reveal a "cultural disharmony" and not a religious clash. "This is not a showdown between Islam and Christianity," he said. "In fact, Europe and much of the West are now living in an era which might be called a post-religious. It is therefore not Christianity, but western cultural arrogance, that stands behind this growing anti-Islamic discourse in certain western circles," says Nammoura, a resident of the West Bank town of Hebron.

Bassam Jarar, considered one of the most prominent Islamic thinkers in Palestine, believes there is a knee-jerk reaction to Islamic communities asserting themselves in Europe. "They [Europeans] can't easily come to terms with the fact that a militarily and politically defeated Ummah (community) is asserting a pro-active presence in the heart of the West and is aspiring to present itself as an alternative to western civilisation."

Conflict of civilisations
When asked if the crisis was a vindication of Samuel Huntington's theory of conflict of civilisations, Jarar said: "It is not inevitable if they are (westerners) faithful to democracy. Let them allow the free market of ideas to take its course." Jarar believes that while the cartoon crisis has a negative aura, and might rekindle old prejudices, it will eventually have a positive income. "I believe this is going to be a good lesson for both Muslims and Westerners. It might lead to a greater understanding in the long range."

But Father Peter DuBrul of Bethlehem University, a Catholic University funded by the Vatican, believes the causes of anti-Muslim attitudes are rooted in the complex history between Islam and Christianity. "As you know, a Christian who has not seriously studied Islam cannot take the Holy Quran at face value; there are too many contradictions to Christian beliefs."

Reduced to stereotype
DuBrul believes it is wrong to overlook or marginalise the religious dimension in the West-Islam relationship, saying the term "post-religious" may be a misnomer. "I think the west is more religious than some Muslims would think and the Muslim east is more secular than some Muslims would admit…"

Western-Muslim understanding can be achieved, says DuBrul. Nonetheless, DuBrul, who has been living in the West Bank for many years, believes that despite recent drawbacks western-Muslim understanding can be achieved. "The Islamic mission to the world comes into conflict with other missions, and such 'missions' have much to learn from one another," he said. "We are in the process of learning now, very painfully. The enemy is always reduced to a stereotype [that] is easier to kill."